There is not a lot out there if one does a search. I couldn't find much of anything, except real "bamboo" kept coming up in searches, and I did not want that. I did not know the botanical name until now.

To propagate it you need the growth nodes on the stalk, the leafy growth coming off of the stalk generally won't root.

You can cut the stalk in sections and lay them horizontally on potting soil, surround the pot with a mini greenhouse made of a plastic bag to increase humidity. However, this method won't get you the stunted stripped leaf version of the plant sold as "Lucky Bamboo"

You can cut your stalks in half and try rooting them in water but it is likely that won't work.

Dracaena sanderiana is NOT a bog or aquatic plant. It doesn't naturally grow those bare stalks either. The growers have stripped the leaves. Pretty much everything about the "Lucky Bamboo" is artificial, some smart cookie in Asia decided to take this cheap easy to grow plant and create a huge fad with it jumping on the Fung suei (sp) bandwagon in the USA.

buyorsell, you appear to have quite a negative attitude about this plant FORM. The entire reason that some of these people begged for their own forum was to avoid that. How about try to offer helpful advice in a constructive manner for those that really like this stream-lined cultural style of growing a very common houseplant? I know you're up to it.

Yes, stem cuttings of Draceana sanderiana root very readily in water. And they can live (and even thrive) in water for many years.

If I have a negative attitude about it because I worked in horticulture for over twenty years and in that time no plant was more trouble than this one.

There is soooo much misinformation about it and soooo many people jumping on the bandwagon selling it without having a clue. My upset is NOT with the people who buy it and grow it but with those who sell it without letting people know that it isn't real bamboo, that it isn't an aquatic plant.

It is very commonly sold infested with spider mites and also commonly sold very stressed and light deprived. Most grow abnormally with long stretched out pale leaves from lack of light and nutrients.

It was also very frustrating to have to carry it because of consumer demand. Reputable suppliers aren't that common and having to reject shipment after shipment because of spider mites and stem rots was problematic. They also have a tendency to turn yellow or rot while waiting to be sold or after being sold resulting in customer upset. Especially the big fancy pots with multiple stalks often wired or bound together. Very frustrating to have to tear them apart to replace dead stalks. Hours and hours of employee labor was spent on this.

We did not have good results getting bare stalks to root in water either. Certainly leaf cuttings didn't. Growth from the stalk that had matured enough to have nodes did easily but thick stalks were problematic.

In general, I detest the use of common names for plants. They cause confusion and upset. They are often regional and you get people making up their own too. Botanical names are the same world over and I sure wish everyone used them. Not to be a snob but for accuracy.

Bud, these Dracaenas will root readily in water and if you follow some basic rules of care to keep the water clean (for oxygen), provide very diluted fertilizer now and then, and give it good light (Dracs will tolerate low light but prefer brighter areas) - your plant will grow that way - and thrive - indefinitely. All they need is proper care. These trendy plants are no more spider-mite-infested than any other plants at the greenhouses if vigilant care is not provided. Like all other houseplants that you purchase, a thorough check for pests (by you) is required.

Trends are also available in all areas of houseplant shipments. I recently visited my local greenhouse only to find Cycas Revoluta (commonly known as Sago Palm, which is not a palm at all) sold as Bonsai, which it's anything but. But the display is pretty, which makes for more sales. People like them, add them to their homes as decorative purposes, so what's the harm?

Enjoy your Dracaena (commonly known as Lucky Bamboo); it'll thrive for you with proper care.

I've visited the FAQ link that spyrogyra2 provided and the information is pretty good.

All I did was cut the new leafy growth off of the sides of the "sticks" that I bought, and put it in water. Lots of roots.

I didn't fertilize and I used tap water. We have flouridated water here and I know now that Lucky Bamboo is suppose to be very sensitive to flouide but it did not kill it. I use bottled water now though.

I have it in the bathroom so the air is moister than the rest of the house. There is only one window but it faces South. I did try putting it right on the window sill but that seemed to stress it.

I am wondering if it will grow tall though?

Oh and BTW naturelover, I did by one of those cute Sago Palms at Steins. I guess I am a sucker for fads. Mine grew to twice it's size the first year and now does nothing. It's still real cute though.

You cannot 'remove' the roots, if that is what you are asking. Dracaena segments, when grown in water for any length of time, will develop a large mass of roots. If you remove them, you eliminate or hinder the plant's ability to absorb water and oxygen.

Since the appearance of normal and healthy root development bothers you, perhaps you can put your Dracaena into an attractive ceramic vase of some kind.

I guess that that is what I will have to do, put it in a ceramic or opaque glass container.

I was just talking about wanting to trim the big mass of roots without hurting it, and just keeping enough root to keep it alive.

Update: Now that we are into the fall season and there is not so much all day sun, my Lucky Bamboo is sort of pale on the new growth, almost white. I'm going to move it directly to the window for sun. I hope it does not get too cold there. Lucky Bamboo seems to desire a lot of indirect sun. It has been growing towards the window so I keep rotating it. As I mentioned in my previous post it did not like the direct sun in August.

I have a Dracaena Sanderiana for about 3 years now. Last month I had noticed the cane was turning yellow and to black from the top. I had to cut it if not it would have killed it. I have some green leaves on the side of the remaining very small piece of cane. I was not sure of what kind of wax to use so for now the whole cane is in the water. Will the leaves turn into a new cane? Will the cane ever grow again?

I just got a bamboo shoot today, the top was dried up and brown, I cut it off, and the bottom is thriving.. I was wondering what specific kind of wax, if any is needed on the top of it. will it dry out and die if I do not seal it off with something? I currently put a little bit of water on it just incase.. Thank you :)

i have seen the lucky bamboo as nothing but the leafy offshoots in soil and so i cut mine off and put them in water. not sure if it will work.
also, if i cut the cane part in several pieces in soil, will i get a bushy look rather than the leaf-stripped version. I dont particularily like the zro leaf factor??

i have noticed my Yaccus look the same, one large stalk with leafy offshoots. Are they at all simmilar

After reading these posts, I made a cutting of a lucky bamboo offshoot that was failing. I took off the lower yellowing leaves and left the four green leaves at the top and rooted it in water. Thanks for the idea, will post results when the roots hopefully arrive!

bud and naturelover~ how did you guys get your sago palm to grow? everyone tells me it's an easy plant...but i'm very embarrassed to say, that mine died. is there a specific way of taking care of it?
my bamboo also seems to be "propagating" on its own, lol. it's growing "babies" on the top side of the plant. i'm going to try to cut it off and leave it in another small glass of water to see if more roots will grow out of it.
i'm so happy that there's a whole forum for lucky bamboos! i was a bit perplexed as to how i'm supposed to take care of the "babies" that are growing out of them.
thanks in advance for any tips and advices!

I'm with buyorsell888. It is a nice looking plant when it looks good I agree, and I love Dracaena's, believe me, I have about 40 in my garden. However, if you look at this forum, it is mostly about the problems that people are having with it. That is because it is NOT meant to grow in water and it is NOT meant to have its leaves removed prematurely. I'm sure curling the stems around won't hurt it.

Now before anyone gets on their high horse and wants to stone me to death ( lol ) I understand how emotional people get with gardening and gets sad when a nice plant doesn't look the same as when they bought it, or is dying, I feel exactly the same way!! Until growers of this nice plant get their heads around the fact that they are now choosing a plant to grow in conditions that it is totally the opposite of what it would be in nature, then they will continue to get frustrated. This forum dedicated to this sole plant alone is proof in point!!

Anyway, I like looking at this plant, I don't grow this particular Dracaena because it is too much drama to maintain the look, but I like it never the less.

I have two questions. I have had my two lucky bamboo plants now for about 6 months and one is growing rapidly (The Leafy Part) and the other one hasn't grown at all since I bought it but it has been growing tons of roots. What Could Be Wrong With It?

Also my last question is there any way to promote new leafy growth on one stock? Each stock only has one leafy growth.

i have curly bamboo i don't know if its lucky bamboo or not i also have straight bamboo
i have a way i care form ine its different probably once a month i dump my pebbles and marbles out of the container i then set the bamboo in a bowl of water and i rinse everything out then put bamboo in its container add back pebbles and marbeles i let it go till it gets low on water.then i do it all over i set it in the corner farthest away because the person i got it from said direct sunlight will kill it. i am always looking for more bamboo. i generaly got mine at a armers market 12 bucks and my brother gave me a straight bamboo i keep in same container as the curly and its thriving. i the s traight bamboo was bought frfom lung fungs an awesome chinese resturant . i have got 2 growths from cuttings i just placed it in the water with the rest. i am wondering if anyone has any helful tints. does anyones ever get dusty. ui try to dust it . i have mine in a clear glass container but i think the roots are beautiful because there are so many
and just to double check i should let them grow root bound be for transp;lanting to new container

Generally the bamboo you get at a store will be Dracaena sanderiana (sorry if I butcher the name...), and I must tell you now, this is NOT a water plant at all. In fact, a lot of plants will grow this way, and it's called hydroponics. But that's another subject entirely. I have a tall bamboo that I bought from the store as well, it's a curly 18" tall one, and soon after finding that it did better in soil and even FLOWERED, I planted it in a potting soil. It does better in groups, as they hold each other up (the root structures don't hold it in place very well), but they actually like a soil that drains pretty well but stays somewhat moist (they are native to the rainforest.)

Speaking of the rainforest, Dracaena sanderiana does well in light situations where it get a lot of INDIRECT light. This means it'll do well in a room where there's a window, but the sun doesn't directly hit it. So please, avoid the brown leaves and take it out of the windowsill. (If it starts browning up, move it farther away from the window. If it starts getting yellow, move it closer.)

I do agree with buyorsell and rhizo, it was kind of stupid to name it Lucky Bamboo. It is NOT related to the bamboo plant except that it is a member of the kingdom Plantae, obviously, but it is actually a member of the lily family. Again, it's natural home is like a rainforest.

Now, I've heard that some people have done well with bamboo in direct light, but I'd think that you'd have to harden off this plant before exposing it to full light (keeping it in shade and then gradually moving it out to full light over the span of about two weeks).

If you DO grow your bamboo in water, make sure to clean the water out every week, and every other week or maybe once a month, clean your rocks/marbles off with bleach and wash them thoroughly afterwards. This will get rid of any annoying algae, if your bamboo is in a clear container, and will get rid of moulds and bacteria that could harm the roots of your bamboo. (The bamboo I have in water seems to love it when I clean the marbles off this way). I've never had spider mites on my bamboo, but I'd say you'd just have to use some Sevin dust on it if it does. (just be careful not to contaminate it's water supply, I think it might harm the roots a bit).

For root propogation, yes, it is somewhat easy to propogate the stalks of this plant. You simply just keep the bottom of the cut off stalk (make sure you cut it off flush) submerged in water, and in about a month or so you'll see new roots. Just make sure you don't submerge the whole thing, as it'll get stem rot.

Now if you wanted to get a bit fancy and even get really good with your hydroponic bamboo, get one of those bubblers you put in fish tanks to give the fish oxygen. Your bamboo will love it and it will look really cool. The continuous supply of oxygen to the roots with make the plant grow faster and stay healthy, and those bubbles just look plain cool. =]

I tend to think the plant does better in soil. It is always up to you and what you are going for.

This plant does not really have a cane. The leaves are stripped from the lower part of the plant to make it look that way. Since you have a new shoot that is starting to grow, I would not do that yet. Give it plenty of time to grow and stabalize. You might even like the way it looks not stripped of its lower leaves.

I am just playing around, but I just took my two stalks of bamboo, leaned them on a 45 degree and and buried the roots in the gravel of my freshwater aquarium.. I also cut one leafy top growth off and am letting it float around on the surface hoping it may root. I am wondering if the high oxygen levels from the bubbler and the higher nitrate/nitrite levels from the fish will help it along.. an experiment, and we shall see what happens.. will let you know.

K4N4DI4N, I don't think that's a good thing to do. Unless you have Malaysian trumpet snails (MTS) in large amounts to aerate the substrate the roots will go anaerobic and rot. Not to mention grown hydroponically only the lower portion of the plant should be submerged. I do not think the top growth will enjoy being under the water.

Also it's not the oxygen levels that will be the problem in the water it will be the CO2 levels which unless you are injecting CO2 will be very low. Those of us that have planted tanks with higher light and fertilizer need to inject CO2 into the tank to prevent unwanted algae from cyanobacteria (they fix their own nitrogen), and opportunistic algae that grown from the leaky wounds in plants when malnourished.

I have several stalks of lucky bamboo and it is about five feet tall. I've had it for several years.It's in water and rocks .I just add water when it gets low. I would like to propagate some . Can I use the whole stalk or or just the tops.

I purchased my first lucky bamboo about a year ago. It was doing so great that I decided to buy another one when we moved to our new apartment. Now I am having problems with them both.

First of all, the information on the little tags they came with don't have the same instructions. The first one said to keep it in a dark place, the newer one says to keep it in indirect sunlight. They were doing great at the old apartment in the dark. The new apartment doesn't have any dark places to put them. Also, the air here is dry.

Another problem is that the first plant tag said to fertilize every 3 months, and the 2nd one says every 2 months. And neither of them say what type of fertilizer to use.

I have had to throw away a few stalks from the first plant, and now I had to toss out one from the other. I am trying to learn how to grow new roots, but have not been successful.

How to probagate Lucky Bamboo(Dracaena Sanderiana)
Step 1: Get another container for this cutting. The container shouldn't have any drainage holes.
Step 2: Fill up that container with water. Let it sit for about 24-48 hours.
Step 3: Take a cutting with some sharp pruning shears. The cutting should be at least a foot long.
Step 4: Stick the cutting in the container of water. You can hold it up with marbles or sand.

First and best tip I can give on propagating lucky bamboo (have been doing it successfully since my first lucky bamboo plant several years ago)

Make sure your clipping is large and strong, and that is has AT LEAST 2 internodes. I've attached a picture of a suitable stalk to make into a clipping, I am pointing at the layers of internodes, the more the merrier but you need at least 2!
Also, make sure when you take your clipping, cut as close to the base as possible, with as sharp a cut as possible. Also make sure to clean the shears you use with rubbing alcohol prior to cutting. The number 1 ailment to lucky bamboo is bacteria, and this can be easily introduced to the plant by dirty shears when cutting, as well as murky or dirty water. Keep water as clean a possible, and make sure your water level is just below the base of leaves left on the stalk.

Just a quick FYI, internodes are created by loss of leaves, which is why center stalks are always bare ( they are pruned in this way to promote propagation) and only the offshoots grow bushy leaves. To speed up a stalk to get it ready for propagation, just remove the base layers of leaves from a new stalk (also with clean clean clean shears) until you have at least two internodes in place. Wait until the clipped leaves have fallen off completely and the stalk is smooth and free of dried/dead leaf remains (just pluck or rub them away when you notice they are dried and brittle) before you clip the stalk to begin propagation.

Just as reference, this is a stalk that is NOT ready to be propagated until the lower leaves have been removed. Another big rule of thumb to keep in mind, you should wait until your lucky bamboo has at leat 2 offshoots from the base stalk. So the number to always keep in mind is 2 2 2!
Basically when you make your cut, if you want the plant you are propagating FROM to survive as well, it will need another stalk to be left intact. So 1 stalk to remain, and 1 to create a cutting from for propagation.

Lucky bamboo should always be kept in clean water, small stones/ pebbles can help them start up straight, and the only fertilizer you should use is liquid fertilizer in the form of drops( which only takes 1 or 2 drops for each container of lucky bamboo.

I have studied this plant pretty extensively for a few years now, and if anyone has any specific questions I would be glad to help because I understand how tricky and sensitive this "simple and hardy" plant can be :)

Ok so I did some reading on propagating my Lucky Bamboo (easier to spell than the other name!) and now that I've read through this forum I may have jumped the gun a bit on it. Luckily (hehe) my plant has several stalks and I only cut 2 to propagate. One was a large healthy stalk and it came from a stalk that had another healthy stalk growing on it. The second one was a smaller one and it was looking a little sad however I swear it already has roots on it so I'm hoping it will do fine.

I do have a question - do I need to put wax on the parent where I cut these stalks from?